Beyond Pasta: 10 Delicious Polenta and Risotto Dishes

We are talking Italian cuisine all week, here at The Kitchn, but we admit that it's been a little pasta-heavy so far. So let's turn our attention to the other two starchy dishes that Italians have perfected, and that we love exceedingly: Polenta and risotto.

Polenta, of course, is a simple dish made with fine or coarse cornmeal (you can make it with pretty much any cornmeal in your kitchen) and as such it's the European cousin of grits. It's cooked in boiling water, milk, or stock, and it makes a wonderful base for toppings of spicy greens, pulled meats, or sauces.

Risotto is the stirred rice dish that has a reputation for being quite finicky — but honestly, we've never had a truly awful risotto. Almost any rice, cooked gradually in boiling chicken or vegetable stock and finished with cheese, is going to be great.

Here are a few favorite polenta and risotto dishes from our archives — we're looking forward to revisiting these even more frequently as the weather cools.